The BBC ignores the beating of Palestinian journalist they interviewed only days before

[mary rizzo]

David Halpin has sent me some letters he wrote to the BBC. I've put them on Palestine Think Tank. It is amazing how the BBC can interview a journalist on one day (to show that the west is so great and awards Palestinian photojournalists) but when that same man is beaten to a state of unconsciousness, they become shallow and don't report it..... Thank God for Independent Media!!

LETTERS TO THE BBC BY DAVID HALPIN
To BBC News online

Dear Olivia,

My first message to you was on 06/28/2008 at 08:33 PM.

I see no report of the assault on this journalist on the BBC web site. Assuming you are on holiday, I am copying this to senior colleagues. To this lay person, there would appear to be several reasons to report that which Mohammed Omer has and is suffering.

1. The BBC were sufficiently interested to interview him on BBC World Service just before he left for France. I provided the contact number for that to happen.

2. It is true is it not that an unprecedented number of journalists have been killed in Iraq - at least 250? 9 have been killed in Gaza. The alleged barbaric treatment of this young journalist should be reported; the louder the silence, the greater the state impunity.

3. If this was Alan Johnston and not a Palestinian (albeit of great talent), the story would have been number one.

4. I ask what would have been reported by yourselves if the boot which trod on his throat had lead to his death. It has been a near thing and I have not had a report today. Would his dying from this assault by agents of Israel have been reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation?

5. His courage is exceptional - and our world needs that more than ever.

His own web site http://www.rafahtoday.org/

I ask that you report it. He was/is in the European hospital near Khan Younis. Its number is Tel 00970 - 8- 2054495

Yours sincerely David Halpin FRCS

Dear Olivia,

A more explicit report http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43005 and an up to date report from a Swedish journalist who has taken Mo’s writing and photos for these last 5 years. Lotta Schullerquist spoke with him in the European hospital. He is on a ‘drip’ because he cannot swallow and his speech is faint. It is likely that the boot was ‘placed’ across his larynx as he lay supine. A major ‘broadsheet’ will carry the details tomorrow. They were celebrating the birth of a ‘democracy’ 60 years ago in Trafagar Square I am told.

For truth David

BBC Online

Dear Olivia,

You were aware of this prize giving 14 days ago. I was honoured to attend. We were distressed when we learned that a tired but happy Mo had been stopped from entering Palestine. I have returned from another enjoyable Palestinian exercise last night in London to learn of this assault on an unarmed young man, who with his family has already suffered greatly under the Israelis. A brother was shot dead, his mother was shot in the leg and the family home was demolished in Rafah in 2004.

I thought you would wish to report this. I have his number for corroboration but I imagine he will not to hear from the west at present.

With best wishes David

from www.palestinethinktank.com

[mary rizzo]

They get this from the dispatches given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I get these dispatches each day in my email and have also debunked and deconstructed a lot of them. Sometimes the "news" reports reprint practically WORD FOR WORD what has been written by the advertising specialists at the MFA.

[Iqbal Tamimi]

[Andrew J Silvera]

Now we have an EDM & a petition somewhere:

EDM on Freedom of Journalists & the Media in Israel
The Case of Muhammed Omer

Please write to your MP to urge them to sign EDM 1926 on Mohammed Omer, the Palestinian journalist who was assaulted by the Israeli Security forces on trying to re-enter the OPTs at Allenby Bridge.

For background, please see:

CAABU's Press release - 30th June 2008
CAABU condemns Israel's treatment of Palestinian journalist, Mohammed Omer
http://www.caabu.org/press/releases/mohammed_omer_ ...

From triumph to torture: Israel's treatment of an award-winning young Palestinian journalist is part of a terrible pattern - John Pilger in The Guardian - 2nd July

Gaza reporter: Israeli security officials broke my ribs - Haaretz/ Reuters- 30th June
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/997593.html

EDM 1926: FREEDOM OF JOURNALISTS AND THE MEDIA IN ISRAEL

Tabled on the 1st July 2008 by Colin Breed MP

"That this House condemns the actions of the Israeli security forces with regard to the Palestinian journalist and joint winner of the 2008 Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, Mohammed Omer, who after briefing Members of Parliament on the situation in the Gaza Strip, attempted to re-enter the Occupied Territories via the Allenby Bridge and was interrogated at the crossing, strip-searched at gunpoint and beaten for four hours resulting in hospitalisation after he lost consciousness; expresses concern that harassment, intimidation and even killing of journalists has been too frequent an occurrence, particularly since the outbreak of the Intifada in 2000; calls on Israel and all other parties to uphold the freedom of journalists to report; further calls on the Israeli government to launch a full independent inquiry, to compensate Mohammed Omer in full for his injuries; and urges the Government to raise this issue with the government of Israel at the earliest opportunity."

Click here to see which MPs have signed so far

Click here for how to find out how to contact your MP and tips on letter writing
http://www.caabu.org/key_issues/contact_your_mp/

[Andrew J Silvera]

From the Pilger & Jamail articles:

Former Dutch ambassador Jan Wijenberg said of what happened to Omer: “This is by no means an isolated incident, but part of a long-term strategy to demolish Palestinian social, economic and cultural life ... I am aware of the possibility that Mohammed Omer might be murdered by Israeli snipers or bomb attack in the near future.”

Janet McMahon, managing editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs with whom Omer files stories, just told me he is still in hospital. “He may go home, or have an operation. He's still in a lot of pain – and it’s hard for him to swallow, or to breathe deeply. He's being fed intravenously.“

As Omer’s colleague, I cannot reconcile the disparity in our experiences. How can we reconcile something that is irreconcilable in the absence of all justice?

[I have emboldened a bit cos it reminded me of another article by Khalid Amayreh:]

Khalid Amayreh - Full account of Muhammed Omer’s hair-raising encounter with the Shin Bet
Posted: 01 Jul 2008 03:19 AM CDT

Muhammed Omer said the Israeli Shin Bet inserted a special electronic device into his mobile phone which would enable them to know his whereabouts.

http://tinyurl.com/6ztacn

Targeting Journalists
Eva Bartlett
The killing of Gaza-based Palestinian Reuters cameraman received considerable attention 2.5 months ago. Filming at the site of shelling in Gaza earlier in the day, Fadel Shana was himself targeted by shelling from the very tanks he was filming. After the incident, with international outcry from rights groups, journalists associations, and individuals, Israel promised to look into his death. Given the high number of journalist fatalities and injuries at the hands of the Israeli army, it is not hard to believe that perhaps Israel is targeting journalists...
Read the full article / Leggi l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.de/?p=45344

I know Khalid Amayreh is always equating Israel with Germany's Weimar Republic but I can't help being reminded here of how Socialists around Munich considered themselves in 1919 - 'the living dead.'

[mary rizzo]

People don't like the way Khalid equates the two, but I ask them to simply consider that what he says is logical: the people do support random collective punishment, or at least justify it in some way. This is the essence of Nazism.